Turning a profit with your news site

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Turning a Profitwith your news site

MelTaylorMedia.com

Twitter: @MelTaylorMediaMel@MelTaylorMedia.com

267-625-5313

Fort Worth, Texas March 10, 2011

How we help Newspaper

refresh

blow up

overhaul & rebuild

outdated web business models

Mel Taylor Media

o Life blood of local journalism

o Why are we stuck ?

o Patch business model

o Other models……successful

o Cherry pick solutions that work

Agenda

Are YouVulnerable?

AggregatorAggregatee

DUMB ?News from

PATCH

Aggregation: Good

But...

Use Carefully

USE EVERY TOOL To Grow • audience share• revenue share

USP Unique Selling

Proposition

Newspaper TOOLS

• Legacy

• Feet on street

• Local content creation

• Client relationships

• Brand familiarity

• Print / Traditional distribution

Newspaper TOOLS

• Video

• Social & Mobile

• Integrated / cross platform

• Large newsrooms

• Aggregation, Blog networks

Content

Aggregation

RSS

Curation

Twitter

Blog Posts

WebsiteSeed

SyndicatePrint

Digital First

Steps for Success

• Understand Competition

• Know USP

• Leverage Digital for Share

Online Journalism/Content looking for

Revenue Models

Proven Revenue Models that support

Online Journalism/Content

FAIL

SMART

Revenue Friendly PLATFORMSoft Content & Services

Sustainable Journalism - Platforms & Systems3/14/2011 MelTaylorMedia.com

Ecommerce

Sponsored Features Advertorial

Offline Revenue, Events Digital Marketing Services

Web 101 Workshops

Ad & Content Networks Syndication

Journalism Support SystemSoft Content & Services Subsidize Hard Content

(Just like in Newspapers)

Hard News Watch Dog Community

Video, Social, Mobile Directory, Classifieds

Limited, Direct Advertiser Support

Life Blood of NewspaperLocal Advertiser Dollars

TRADITIONAL• Other Papers

• Community News

• Specialty News

• Magazines

• TV

• Radio

• Cable

• Outdoor

• Yellow Pages

NON-TRADITIONAL• Google

• Groupon• Facebook

• Digital agency• Pandora & digital radio

• Geo-Target national sites• Self-publishing

• Hyper-local sites/blogs• You-Tube

• Yelp & review sites• Free directories

• Craigslist, Angie’s list• Service Magic

• Monster, Cars, Realtor.com

Local Biz Bombarded

what should we do

?

Mobile

Twitter

Facebook

Video

Apps

Coupons

Blogs

RUN ONLINE LIKE PRINT

SAME RULES

1. profit

2. operations

3. editorial

in this order

Run Web like NewspaperThink like Publisher / Owner

• New revenue development

• Operational efficiencies

• Bottom line & profit margin

Reduce Costs• Open source• Outsource• Partner• Aggregate• Automate

Costs

RUN WEBLIKE

PRINT

1. Compensation

2. Management

3. Simplify inventory

4. Apply pressure

5. Raise Rate

Online deals = small

Print sales = big

• Online is small %, but fastest growing

• Advertisers moving larger % to web

• Outsiders talking to clients. They’re buying

Skepticism

Cannibalize Print ?

solving fear of cannibalization

if we don’t

offer digital…

someone else will

SIMPLE First Steps

• Who’s in charge?

• Ask client about ad spend

• Compensation adjustment

• Pitch current print clients

• Simplify ads & packages

Who Runs Site

• make it impressive • drive page-views • win awards • sell more print

Financially motivated or….

?

Editorial vs. Sales

Internal Conflict

Overhaul Comp

• Revenue per rep & manager

• New business per rep (per month)

• Grow % of current clients using web

• High commission rate: new clients

• Lower commission rate: transactional

• Bonus & PENALTY

Reps Operating Blind

Fully aware of how clientsare spending budgets?

Ask Client about Ad Spend

Their answers will surprise you

Bigger Not Always Better

Print

News Hole

Online

Ad hole

LOGOsections

promo

LOSE PRICING POWER

Un-limited Supply+

Commodity Unit+

Limited Demand

How To Win

What can Newspaper do…

that others can’t ?

USPUnique Selling Proposition

USP• Superior local reach

• Feet on street

• Trust & Brand familiarity

• Client relationships

• Local content creation & curation

How Newspaper Wins

Combine Newspaper USPwith

New Digital Tools

Do advertisers care more about news…or selling their merchandise ?

2009

Critical Question

NEW LOCAL Competitors

What in Common?

Local Ad Dollars

Patch: Priority Plan

• Local news source

• Trusted community partner

• Newspaper replacement

• Create excellent journalism

AOL’ s

hyper-local play

for local ad dollars

via journalism

Over 800 Sites…so far555 in Q4 2010

• 18 states

• Over 100 in California

• 73 in Massachusetts

• 40 in Georgia

• 30 in Philadelphia

• 3m uniques; Dec 2010

Launched in February 2009

PhiladelphiaRegion

Today: 30 Summer 2011: 60

Bucks County

Delaware County

Lehigh County

Chester County

Main Line

Communities Avg size: 50-70k

South Jersey

PATCH Philly Regional Publisher:Former Publisher @ Journal Register

Why is Patch doing this?

• AOL’s dial-up dead

• Need new revenue

• Local media downsizing

• 50% of local budgets on sideline

• Local media protecting legacy biz

Will Patch Succeed ?

• Who knows – Doesn’t matter

• Patch is more proof…

– Local dollars up for grabs

Deadly Mistakeonly focus on….

• traffic

• community

• banner ads

• journalism skils

tactic of diverting attention away from item of significance

Sweet.Newspaper is falling

right into our trap

Deadly MistakeAs we bad mouth

• 50 mil investment

• Mc cookie cutter sites

• Working conditions

• Corporate approach

Patch Grows• Efficiencies of scale

• Walmart effect

• Infra-structure

• Additional revenue ops

Patch Grows• Aquisitions

• AOL content & ad net

• Monetizable reach

• Monetizable data

Patch Marketing Staff… Freshest Breath in Town

Recruitment

POACH

• Newspaper• TV• Cable• Yellow Pages• NAA• Bloggers

POACH

Patch University

Patch Office Space

Editor of Canon-McMillan Patch, with Mayor Rhome

Pittsburgh Business Times

Mayor Flips SwitchHopkins, Minnesota Patch Site

#500

FREE Holiday ParkingCourtesy of Ardmore PATCH

o Local Editor; $40ko MacBook Pro, camera, smart phone, police scanner

o $500 freelancer budget per month

o Regional Publisher; $80k

o Regional Editor; $80ko Oversee group of 12 Patch sites

401K matchPerformance bonusMedical & Dental

EditorialPay & Positions

o Ad Manager; $60k baseo 5k signing bonus

o 90k at plan

o Cell, laptop, wireless card

o Budget

SALESPay & Positions

401K matchPerformance bonusMedical & Dental

Patch Sales

Inventory

o Flat fee for SOV (share of voice)

o Free Classifieds

o Small fee $20 auto & jobs

o Directory up-sells

o Fee to post coupons

o Newsletter Ads

o Video Profiles $800

Current Ad Offers

Huffington PostThe great roll up begins

similar to isps, cable, radio, newspaper

• Profitable• Pageviews & uniques• Management success• Leverage rules of web 2.0• Technology implementation • Social, viral , commenting

provides boost to aggregation /

automation portion of business

Warren Webster about Outside.in acquisition:

“We really believe in the model we have right now, pairing local journalism w/ tech and efficiency of scale.

Outside.in : outstanding technology to scale even faster.

[They have] tools for journalism to make us more robust; a fantastic group of engineers, product people, and business people.

otherLOCAL

competitors

Outsourcing

Yellow Pages

Cable

Google Places

• Over 45 US markets

• Feet on street

• Search Engine Marketing

• Display / Banner

• Video

• Multiple digital solutions

NewspapersDIGITAL SERVICE

Divisions

TRIBUNEDIGITAL SERVICES

Online Radio

o 60 million users

o About half of all Internet listening

o Avg 13 hrs of listening

o $50 mil revenue.

o 45 of top 50 national advertisers

o Growing sales force

o San Fran, NYC, LA, Chicago, Detroit, Dallas, Atlanta

Pandora

Targeting of local ads

on NATIONAL SITES

o Geo-targeting

o By format

o Audio, Video, Display

o Mobile

Pandora

112

LOCAL ad

on national site

Digital Outdoor

• Geo target• Day part• Production

Hyper-local sites

& Web Sales

for Local TV

o No upfront costs

o Call center pitch local business

o Use TV’s call letters

o Rev share approx 60% to DataSphere

Don’t help them

Don’t run their ads

Post tease & link back to site

Post tease & link back to site

EmployeesDec 2009: 124

Dec 2010: 3,100

75% of Deal Market

Users2008: 400 k

2009: 1.5 mil

2010: 40 mil

Average User Single

Female 18-34

Income: 70k+

HARVESTING your audience

> Partner

> Run Groupon Ads

& Newspaper

NO

Deals

Take your foot off the brake

think about it…

newspapers are careful about who gets a front page ad

in their print product

( hand-selected business pays premium )

but… they don’t follow the same smart rules about ad placements

in their online product

not smart

DUMB National Ad Networks( at local level )

REMOVEfrom home-page & section fronts

Consider day-parting

danger of ad networks

Ad unit designed to

look like editorial

DUMB National Ad Networks

1.Found money

2.No upfront costs

1.3rd party reps inventory

2.Inventory glut lowers pricing power

3.Local business gets on site…cheap

4.Commoditize your inventory

Good:

Bad:

National Ad Networks3rd Party Ads, Remnant, Google Ad Sense

National Ad Networks

REMOVEhome-page & section fronts

• Day-part• Secondary sections• Below fold• Non-prime positions

> No Super-Premium Ads

> The only local ad is pushed outside of content area

> Low CPM ad networks sucking up home page of this otherwise strong news-site.

How GREAT sites lose money

danger of ad networks

Ad unit designed to

look like editorial

TV Promoin prime position

Marketing Promoin prime position

TV Promoin prime position

Low CPM3rd Party Ad net

Great TV Stationlosing web dollars

on HOME PAGE

Sales/Marketing Promo

Sales/Marketing Promo

Would TV run nothing but non-paid promos & remnant ads in 11p newscast?

No.

Then why do it online..on this PREMIUM page?

Sales/Marketing Promo

3 home-page units ! devoted to DEALS

simplify

NEWS LOGO

NEWS LOGO

REDUCE Clutter !

NEWS LOGO

NEWS LOGO

Huh?

• cpm

• pageviews

• uniques

• click-thru rate

• odd pricing

• pixels

• impressions

Huh?

overcoming COMMONobjections

Overcoming Common Objections

Not Interested

Groupon

Facebook

Google

Newspaper

Doesn’t

Work

Already have Site

Cable No BudgetDon’t See

My Ad

Tried it. Did not Work

OLD SCHOOLweb sales DEAD

Website

Seller

NEVER

Call your site….THE INTERNET

Some prefer to read our paper:

• at work on computer

• on their iPhone

Better:

NEVER SAY

Wanna buy a banner ?

25% of our readers love

our Online Newspaper…

You need to be there too

Better:

Not interested in Web

Newspaper is Enough

• Great start !

• Readers are online too

• Need your ad there

things to sayto client

totally understand

many of my clients felt same way

your customers still use

newspaper

but…

your customersare spending

more time online

Let me help you reach them

online

Internet Prime TimeMon-Fri 9a-5p

At Work Day-Part

Website: xx,000 Unique / readers

Mobile: x,000 Apps, alerts

Social: x,000 Facebook, Twitter

Email: xx,000 Opt-insYouTube: xx,000 Subscribers

Total Readership

Newspaper: xxx,000Online: xx,000 Total Reach: xxx,000

Total Online

SIMPLEMedia Kit

• Online• Print• Email (PDF)

________% of Philly (ages 18-54) are online

________% of (18-54) that use online for entertainment

________% of (18-54) that use online for local info

PW.com delivers:

______ Page-views per month

______ Unique readers on computer or mobile

PW.com - AT WORK DAYPART

PW.com features:

• High profile display ads

• Custom Sponsorships

• Audio & video ads

• Contests & Promotions

• Database & lead capture

• Social Media & Mobile

• Email

Reach Philly….in Print & Online

____ Email Subscribers

____ Facebook Fans

____ Twitter Subscribers

DEMO ONLY

PW.com - AT WORK DAYPART

Reach Philly….in Print & Online

DEMO ONLY

•Testimonials•Quick case study•Logos of current online advertisers•Local advertisers looking great on site

How Local Biz Decidesto buy your site

• Reads your newspaper

• Pageviews, CPM, Price

• Design

• Awards

• Twitter & Facebook & Video

Ad Mixdo they see

local business& competitors?

http://www.tmccreatives.com/

Premium Ads• Skins & site take-overs• Pre-rolls• Large format display

easiest ad unit to sell

Sliding Billboard

smart practice

Home Page Premium

Unit

Already Using

• Banners• SEO• Facebook• Website

PRINT

& ONLINE

online promotion

* download coupon * join contest * watch video

capture:

* email* twitter* facebook fan

build database

* friend list* twitter * subscribers

targeted email

* tweets* facebook* messages

Integrated Campaign

Don’t See My Ads

• Day-part (9a-3p)

• Pick a day (wed)

• Pick a section (sports)

Target Impressions

Newspaper Stinks

• I understand your feelings

• Show online solutions

• Use Print to support Web

• Up-sell to print

• Show benefits of combo

Using Google / SEO

• Great start

• Reaches ACTIVE buyers

• You need PASSIVES too

– Those NOT buying now

To advertise your business

Would you only use Yellow Pages?

Too Expensive

Smart Practiceweekly instead of monthly rates

$ 400. per month sounds

expensive

soundsreasonable $ 95. per week

‘Your cpm is too high’

Avoid This Nonsense….instead….sell flat fee to local/directs

Interactive Media Queen

It’s NotWorking

ManageClient

Expectations

How will client track success?

• Increase sales• Store traffic• Brand awareness• Message awareness• Click thru rate• Download coupon• Subscribe email• Facebook / Twitter

HowWillClient Track Success

Manage Expectations

Brand Awareness

- Boston Pizza Logo

Message Awareness

- Boston Pizza; 3 locations. Now in Braintree

Direct Response

- Accountable performance

- Show (redeem) text message for free topping

3 Campaign Objectives

Top Reasonsfor

CANCELLATION

BADBanner Design

Creatives

Click here for…• Gift Cards• Menus• NYE Reservations

Well designed…• Branding• Message Awareness• Direct Response

Design Banner as if….• Speed by at 70mph

• 2 seconds of attention

Banner Design• KISS

• No Web Address

• Clear graphics / messaging

• Understood in 2 seconds

• What is Goal ?BrandingMessage awarenessDirect response

• Call to Action ?

Banner Design

Client Vanity

• What is Goal ?BrandingMessage awarenessDirect response

• Call to Action ?

Banner Design

if we don’t offer digital…

someone else will

SELL Current Print Clients

His clients would buy Web if….• offered consistently

• offered with passion

• offered as a ‘great idea’ (not just banner ads)

Print Sales SuperstarWins Sales ContestsHits Budget w/o Web

Use Classified Call Center to set appointments

• Cold calling is weak

• Keep sellers on street

• Use classified dept

• Consider outsourcing to call center

Web 101 for Local Business

Seminars

• Designate premium HOME PAGE unit

• Sell 24 hour exclusive

• Limit inventory…7 only…Pick a day

• Pricing

• Flat Fee

• Raise rate as you sell out

• 12 week commitment

Starter Web Sales Plan

Overhaul

Compensation

• Revenue & New Business • Per rep & manager• Per month

• Commission• 25% or more for new biz• 10% or below for transactional

Overhaul

Compensation

> Grow % of clients using web

> Bonus & PENALTY

• Don’t hit web ? Lose PRINT bonus

• Don’t hit web….all the time?

> Lose acct or job

Compensation

DO NOT bonus based on:

• Page views

• Unique users

instead…

bonus & compensateon revenue & profit

Breaking News

Ad-supported

Promotions

Market to Advertisers

• Rte 9 is closed

• Lady Gaga tix on sale Friday

• Red Sox beat Yankees 99-0

• Deal of Day

• Coupon download

• Win Trip

• Stand by rate now avail

• Home page unit now avail

• Spring special 50% off

Multiple Uses

local business using twitter & facebook

food truck sends tweets

inform customers where they’ll be,

and at what time

Hyper Local

Blogger NetworkFarm System

for Newsroom

Hyper-Local IncubatorRevenue, Sales, Tools & Support Services

3/11/2011 MelTaylorMedia.com Mel@MelTaylorMedia.com PH: 267-625-5313

The Revenue Engine, Platform & Systemfor Hyper-Local News, Independent Websites & Content Creators

UPDATED 3/11/2010

• Hyper Local Networks• Competing with Patch• Sustainable Models

*for demonstration purposes only

Advertising & Content NetworkBlogs / Independent Journalists / Online Content Creators

Hyper-Local Incubator

3/14/2011 MelTaylorMedia.com

Local Media Eco-SystemBusiness Models that Support Local Journalism

• Enable local commerce to subsidize local news• Proven revenue management systems (RMS)• Move from investor/foundation support, to self-support• Leverage efficiencies of outsourcing & open-source• Multiple online & offline revenue streams

Destination SiteAggregation, Curation, Editorial

Mobile, RSS, Email, Social

Commission, fees & rev-shareDisplay, search, lead capture

Events & promotionsSponsor supported and/or fees

Ad supported

Stringers, Syndication & Licensing

CMS & RMS Platforms

Local Ad Network

Traditional & Digital Marketing Services

Licensing fee, Rev share

Rev share, Agy com

Fees

Fees

Property of Mel Taylor Media. OCT. 1, 2010 www.MelTaylorMedia.com

Local Ad Network

Traditional & Digital Marketing Services

Agy com

Fees

Events & Training WorkshopsFees, sponsorshipslead aggregation

Self-serve, Outbound tele-sales

Creative• Marketing Agencies• Video, Indie-Producers• Designers & Developers

Outsource / FeesMarketing

• Promotions• Event, Contesting• Social

Outsource / Fees

RMS & CMS Platforms

Local Ad Network

Stringer & Syndication & Licensing

Sales, Marketing, Training, Tech & Business Support

Licensing fee and/or revenue share

Per Diem & fees

Revenue shareAgency commission

Co-op Efficiencies

Co-op ResourcesFor Independent Bloggers & Sites• Sales support, network & services• Content network & syndication• Tech & back-office support• Pre-vetted platforms & apps• Representation and investmentsTraditional & Public Media

Growing need to reduce costs, increase local coverage & revenue

Local Readership• What if Newspaper shuts down?

• Central hub for public affairs & local info

Content• Laid off journalists & photographers

• Traditional media news• Indie-sites & pro-am bloggers• Info & pubic domain data feeds• Community & citizen participation

Advertisers• National, Regional, Local

• Moving dollars online

News, Community, Services & Supportfor Local Media Markets

Rev share

Hyper-Local Incubator

Revenue Friendly PLATFORMSoft Content & Services

Sustainable Journalism - Platforms & Systems3/14/2011 MelTaylorMedia.com

Ecommerce

Sponsored Features Advertorial

Offline Revenue, Events Digital Marketing Services

Web 101 Workshops

Ad & Content Networks Syndication

Journalism Support System

Soft Content & Services Subsidize Hard Content(Just like in Newspapers)

Hard News Watch Dog Community

Video, Social, Mobile Directory, Classifieds

Limited, Direct Advertiser Support

536,893 Unique Readers per month

News 10

Sacramento

• All reps as super sellers

• Slowly grow web-only force

• 1 point of contact for client

• Offer many solutions

• Reach & power of all platforms

Integrated & SeparateSales Reps

Tools For Traffic

SEO, Title Tags

Keyword rich

Syndication, RSS

Share / Social

Flickr, YouTube

Tapping These ?

Online Videoshow me the money

Remember all that video stuff you bought for the newsroom?

Take back half of it, and give it to the sales department.

online videothat pays

4 Types of Video

• Story extender

• Story teller

• Gotta see it, to believe it

• Client promo / demo

• Pre-Roll• Frequency cap

• :10, :15, or :30 based on length

• No video? Use static billboard

• Lower Third

Online VideoBest Practices for Revenue

online

photo-mercials

online photo-mercials

Newspaper USP unique selling proposition

What can Newspaper offer…

that PATCH & OTHERS can’t ?

Reduce Costsvia

> Open Source> Crowd Source> Revenue Share

• Vendor Deals

• Aggregation & RSS

• Local Indie-Journos

• CMS Platforms

• Local Ad Networks

• Sales-Based Video

• Management

Re-think EVERYTHING

When content creators understand online business models…

they create more advertiser-friendly & profitable websites

Online Business 101for Editorial, Programming & Web Producers

The New Workshop from Mel Taylor Media

Our ‘Web 101 for Small Business’ seminar was a huge success

• $140,000 in new revenue and signed 26 NEW advertisers

• Increased average revenue per account by 18%.

Mel is charismatic, well spoken and easily captures attention of the crowd. He takes the time to build a story

that can make the most difficult concepts seem easy.

Before the client seminar (where Mel trained our sales staff) he addressed the most common objections. Mel

helped give the sales staff more confidence, and made them fully prepared to sell.

At the client seminar, Mel engaged the audience, spoke in terms that made them comfortable, and made

professional reference to promote our Newspaper website, without losing credibility as a professional, outside

consultant.

Dan Sarko ; VP of Interactive; Tribune

mel taylor media testimonials

We generated over $140k of new (quarterly) online business.

The seminar results far exceeded our expectations.

Mel’s presentation was also a very effective learning tool for our print sales staff, reinforcing our in-house web training.

One key to our success was Mel’s presentation style. He was able to build the advertisers’ web comfort by using non-tech, easy to understand methods & terminology.

John D’Orlando, VP Advertising; Orlando Sentinel

mel taylor media testimonials

o Your knowledge and experience in what works, and what doesn't, to generate online revenues is sorely

needed in the Broadcast industry. Your recommendations are simple, practical, and can be executed

immediately. Feedback from attendees was as high as we've ever gotten.

John Potter VP Training; Radio Advertising Bureau

o As an event planner, I have the opportunity to place many different types of speakers on various industry

programs. Rarely do I encounter a speaker of the caliber of Mel Taylor. Not only is he extremely

knowledgeable in and well-prepared for his subject matter, he is also a very entertaining speaker and a

pleasure to work with. He is an asset to any program.

Marsha Stoltman; America East Newspaper Conference

o Mel, Thank you so much for helping Clear Channel Philadelphia take 100% share of the “Cirque Du Soleil”

Theatre buy. $60 thousand dollars for us! Your “integrated marketing approach” blew the client away. We

even took $10,000. of their print budget ! The client said they were VERY impressed with your presentation

and program, ….and they don’t impress easily !

Tara Kelly, Clear Channel Radio

o Mel Taylor has sold new media for newspapers, radio and television, and knows what it takes to get past low

CPM’s and remnant ads. We hired Mel Taylor Media at WTEN in Albany and saw immediate benefits. In

addition to innovative internet training and development for our sales team, Mel worked closely with the

news director and web developer. Our site now looks better and is more appealing to our advertisers as well

as our viewers. The best part: revenue is up. Mike Sechrist, WTEN TV, Albany, NY

mel taylor media testimonials

Mel Taylor Mediasuccess story

Results: 90 day web-sales initiative

2008 2009 Increase

February $71,813 $134,847 88%

March $97,304 $160,756 66%

April $110,000 $164,475 49%

Turning a Profitwith your news site

MelTaylorMedia.com

Twitter: @MelTaylorMediaMel@MelTaylorMedia.com

267-625-5313

Fort Worth, Texas March 10, 2011